How to Book Your Own Podcast Guests

Although there are great booking services such as those offered by our friends at Interview Connections, not all podcasters have the budget to hire this type of specialized service, just yet. If you're one of those podcasters, read on.

Ideally before you begin, you would create a “one sheet” summary of your podcast.

Here's an example of a great "one sheet" for comedian, Jeff Civillico

This is just a nicely-designed graphic summary of what you do, who you are, and the general purpose of your show. The purpose of this one sheet of informational facts is to help you with getting potential guests to warm up to you. This makes you look professional and shows that you take your podcast seriously. Consider hiring a designer, if need be, in order to get the image done just right.

The real secret to getting great guests on your show is the follow-up method.

...if you’re constantly emailing people to inquire if they’re available, they’re bound to notice you eventually.

Because, not everybody sees your email; it can go into spam, they get bombarded with other emails or don't think you're serious enough, etc. However, if you're constantly emailing people to inquire if they're available, they're bound to notice you eventually. Obviously, do not be obnoxious about it, but no answer is often times just that - no answer. So keep trying every couple of days or once a week to get their attention.

If you notice that your follow-up method via email is not working, then try getting their direct attention through social media.

Twitter is often very helpful for this, as many people use it to quickly connect with their fans. Send them a quick tweet or Facebook message to inquire about having them on your show. Let them know you've been trying to reach them through email with no luck. They're actually more likely to respond through that medium than email.

Perhaps, you'd even like to reach out to them on social media first, to build a connection before sending an email and requesting an interview. The specifics of how you approach this is entirely up to you. Try experimenting with both methods to see what works best.

It's definitely time consuming to get a busy person's attention, which is why patience and persistence are key factors to getting your ideal guests on your show. However, there's also nothing wrong with reaching out, within your already established network, for connections and to people. Start by interviewing your friends or acquaintances and then ask them at the end of each interview if they have any connections who would like to be on your show.

This is a great way to expand your circle quickly and get a new blood on the show.

Keep in mind that sometimes the 'less famous' guests have the best insights and knowledge, which you simply don't hear anywhere else. Don't always try to aim for the high and mighty big names; they're used to talking about the same thing over and over again.

The one tip you should keep in mind throughout this process is that people are more likely to say yes when they've had a warm introduction vs. a cold one. Focus on building a relationship and getting your name somewhere in their network first; whether it be by conversing with them on social media or by building a connection at networking events. These are all great ways to finding new and amazing guests for your show.

About Podfly:

We're a podcast production house that provides editing and show notes services. We can also take you from zero to hero with one of our packages if you're a complete novice about the podcasting world. In the Zero to Hero package, we'll help you set up and we’ll edit your first podcast. Contact us today and we'll help you get started.